Chapter 193 (continued)
It seems that Ke Shuwen and her team were well-prepared.
Now that the equipment is fine, we can go plant some Tuan Brassica.
They first dealt with a small plot of land belonging to the chemical plant.
Because of the need for disposal, the chemical plant had already cleared the above-ground parts of the buildings, and now it looks like ruins with weeds growing on the ground.
They couldn't tell how polluted the area was just by looking at it with the naked eye.
Only when the test report is seen can it be discovered that the levels of multiple heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, and lead here are all exceeding the standards. If it is not treated and directly converted into a residential area, it will be very harmful to people.
Qing Mengzhu opened the trunk, gesturing for everyone to move the vegetable seedlings.
He only managed to cultivate a little over four thousand * Tuan Brassica seedlings, which is a pitifully small number for a chemical plant. All they could do was plant a small plot of land first.
Everyone moved the seedlings to the place where they were to be planted.
Qing Mengzhu instructed the researchers to prepare the land, dig holes, and then plant vegetable seedlings.
Because the number of seedlings needed to be planted was too small, Qing Mengzhu didn't bring a tiller and planned to plant them manually.
With so many people here, they planted the seedlings in just over half an hour.
Qing Mengzhu didn't take the tap water from the chemical plant. Instead, he had someone fetch several barrels of well water from the back of his car and used a spray bottle to water the seedlings to help them establish themselves.
By the time they finished watering, it was already past five in the afternoon. The sun was setting, and the sunlight became very soft.
The green Tuan Brassica were planted in light brown soil. The small plants were arranged in several rows. Because of the hot weather and the planting, their leaves were limp and lying on the ground, looking very listless.
A hint of worry appeared in Ke Shuwen's eyes.
Qing Mengzhu glanced at her, guessed what she was thinking, and said, "Don't worry, it will grow."
Ke Shuwen stared at the Tuan Brassica: "I hope they grow up soon."
Qing Mengzhu: "Yes."
As they left, before closing the gate behind the fence, Ke Shuwen turned back for one last look at the newly planted Tuan Brassica.
The test report for the Tuan Brassica that Qing Mengzhu planted, along with the soil analysis report, are both on her computer.
It was those two impressive reports that gave her confidence in the effectiveness of the treatment of Tuan Brassica.
I hope the newly planted Tuan Brassica will also grow healthily and have the same dazzling performance.
After leaving the contaminated area, they took off their protective suits, masks, and other protective gear.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the cool evening breeze touched their skin.
Qing Mengzhu rolled up the protective suit she had worn and handed it to Ke Shuwen and the others to handle, waving her hand and saying, "You guys should go home now, I'm going home first."
Ke Shuwen and the others agreed, "We'll go back to the company, tidy up, and then leave work."
Qing Mengzhu: "Thank you for your hard work."
The chemical plant is located in the suburbs of Vine City, and it takes more than an hour to drive back to the village.
It's rush hour now, and several sections of the road are quite congested.
When Qing Mengzhu got home, it was almost 7 p. m. The sun had long since set, but fortunately there was still a sunset glow, and it wasn't completely dark yet.
Just as she was thinking this, Qing Mengzhu saw Ming Chunxi's figure walking over from the other side of the house.
Ming Chunxi was holding a large bunch of lotus flowers, some half-open and some buds.
The deep red lotus with black undertones is rich and vibrant, paired with green lotus leaves and a tender yellow lotus pedestal in the center, making it exceptionally beautiful.
The person holding the flowers looks especially good; the flowers accentuate the beauty, making her even more stunning.
Qing Mengzhu's eyes practically popped out of her head.
Ming Chunxi came over and flicked the water droplets from her hand onto his face. "Snap out of it."
Qing Mengzhu then came to her senses and noticed that two dogs were following Ming Chunxi and wagging their tails at him.
Seeing that he didn't respond for a long time, the Dharma Protector barked angrily.
Qing Mengzhu, somewhat embarrassed, petted the dog's head. "Why did you pick so many lotus flowers? To put them in a vase?"
Ming Chunxi: "Keep some for vases, and use the rest to make lotus tea."
Qing Mengzhu then remembered. "We haven't made lotus tea yet this year. If we use tea leaves that we roast ourselves, the taste will definitely be very good."
Ming Chunxi: "That's what I think too."
The two went home, washed their hands, and then took out tea leaves to make lotus tea.
Unlike last year, they now have a drying machine. They no longer need to patiently roast the lotus flowers over a small stove. They can simply stuff the tea leaves into the flower buds, tie them up, and put them into the drying machine. They just need to set the moisture content, which is much simpler than last year.
After arranging the lotus flowers in a vase, the two went to the kitchen to cook.
Qing Mengzhu said, "It's been a while since I've had lotus root shoots. I'll go pick some in a couple of days to stir-fry with beef."
Ming Chunxi: "We need to hurry. I see the lotus roots at the bottom have already started to grow. In a few more days, there will probably only be tender lotus roots, without any stems."
Qing Mengzhu immediately said, "Then I'll go pick them first thing tomorrow morning. The pickled peppers seem to be ready, so I'll use our family's pickled peppers to stir-fry the lotus root shoots."
After saying that, Qing Mengzhu muttered, "Just talking about it makes my mouth water. I'll go grab a handful now and we can stir-fry some beef."
Ming Chunxi smiled and said, "Go."
The two chatted about their day while cooking.
By the time they finished their leisurely meal, the lotus tea in the dehydrator was ready.
Qing Mengzhu took a basket to retrieve the lotus tea from the drying machine. After taking one, she couldn't resist smelling it, then let Ming Chunxi smell it too. "The dried lotus tea seems even more fragrant."
Ming Chunxi: "Perhaps because it was dried in a sealed environment, the aroma was less lost. I'll go fetch some well water, and we'll brew a pot of tea."
Neither of them will have insomnia after drinking the tea, and it's fine to drink it at night too.
Today, with stars, moon, and breeze, it's the perfect day for tea.
Ming Chunxi specially chose a teapot suitable for brewing flower tea and put the lotus buds with the cotton threads removed into the teapot.
He didn't crush the flower packet; he just steeped it in boiling water.
The well water is from Spirit Spring Water, sweet and refreshing. When the boiling water is poured into the teapot, a golden-red tea soup is immediately brewed.
Ming Chunxi poured the tea into the fairness cup, and then into his and Qing Mengzhu's small cups.
The tea had cooled slightly by then, but it was still warm enough to drink without causing burns.
Qing Mengzhu picked up the teacup, first bringing it to his nose to smell it. The rich and delicate fragrance instantly awakened all his senses.
The heat and the stress of work seemed to be soothed by the tea, and his heart became calm.
He took a small sip of tea, and after swallowing the tea that had moistened his mouth, he couldn't help but say, "This year's tea is indeed more fragrant than last year's."
Ming Chunxi had already finished about half a cup. "The well water we use to brew tea is much better than last year's."
Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, good tea goes well with good water."
Qing Mengzhu said, lying back on the recliner and looking at the stars in the sky, "Life is so good."
Ming Chunxi had a smile on her face.
The two men were drinking tea in the courtyard, while two dogs lay sleeping nearby.
As they drank, Qing Mengzhu grew sleepy and wanted to go to sleep, but she couldn't bear to leave amidst the fragrant aroma of tea filling the courtyard.
He decided to drink a couple more rounds, waiting until the lotus tea brewed with it became weaker before making any further comments.
Just as they were quietly drinking their tea, there was a gentle knock on the courtyard gate.
Qing Mengzhu didn't want to move and asked, "Who is it?"
Zhao Hexi's voice came in. "It's me and Brother Zhou! Are you having tea? I can smell the aroma."
Qing Mengzhu: "Hey, you have such a keen sense of smell!"
Zhao Hexi: "Brother Zhou smelled it too. Brother Zhou, Mengzhu said you have a dog's nose."
Ming Chunxi strode over to open the door for them.
The two walked in, Zhao Hexi walked especially fast, rushing to the table in an instant. "You're really drinking tea! Quick, give me a cup, I want some too."
Qing Mengzhu: "Aren't you afraid of having insomnia if you drink too much? The cup is in the sterilizer, go get it yourself."